Yet Another Adam Sandler Movie Coming to Netflix, Except This One Will Be Good

Netflix, for all their diverting original series and Bong Joon-ho subsidization, has also been responsible for the introduction of a great evil into the world. I am referring, of course, to their seemingly infinite-picture development deal with chronic Phoner-of-It-In Adam Sandler. Netflix signed Sandler to a four-movie deal back in 2014, which has been going decidedly less-than-great so far — his Western spoof The Ridiculous Six was a big pile of donkey turds, and the trailer for his upcoming Sandy Wexlerhas not inspired much more confidence. When the news hit a few weeks ago that Netflix would re-up their deal with Sandler for four more movies, our coverage of the notice contained the words “oh no.”

So it may come as a surprise that I can happily report to you that Netflix has purchased yet another film starring Adam Sandler, and in all likelihood, it’s going to be great. Deadline ran an item last night announcing that Netflix had purchased the rights to the upcoming family drama The Meyerowitz Stories, with Sandler in the lead, for a release later this year. The twist? He neither wrote nor directed the picture, mercifully leaving those duties to esteemed New York filmmaker Noah Baumbach. (In light of this, a Cannes premiere may not be out of the question, by the way. We’ll know for sure on Thursday.) The dramedy centers on an intergenerational conflict within one family, as adult children portrayed by Sandler, Emma Thompson, and frequent Baumbach collaborator Ben Stiller chafe under the rule of their paterfamilias, to be portrayed by Dustin Hoffman. Sounds like a dysfunctional good time for one and all!

It’s easy to forget, because he makes so many dreadful movies in between them, but Sandler’s forays into drama have historically gone well. Once upon a time, Sandler signed on for another genre-bridging project from a well-regarded filmmaker about a developmentally stunted man — that was Punch-Drunk Love. So that’s about where the bar has been set, Baumbach. Wow us!